Tafseer Surah Al-Imraan (verses 47-57)
These articles are edited transcripts of the classes given by Zaynab Al Kateb based on Shaykh Al Uthaymeen’s explanation on Surah Al Imraan.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
{قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ} 47
Verse 47: {She said: “Oh my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?” He said: “So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” – and it is.}
Maryam said, “How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?” Meaning, “I did not have a husband-and-wife relationship (i.e. sexual intercourse)”. Her question here does not indicate doubt, rather, it is a reassurance and confirmation that she would conceive a child without the involvement of a man. Here the Angels are talking to Maryam while she addresses Allah directly.
Allah then replies to her; “So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills.” Meaning, why do you, who are from the creation of Allah, question the possibility of this, when Allah is the Creator, and it was He Who created every single thing in the heavens and in the earth!
How diverse and amazing Allah’s creation is, yet people wonder how Isa was conceived without a father? If you question this, then ask yourself: “Who brought Adam into existence without a mother or father?”
Sheikh Ibn Al-Uthaymin said concerning this, “You may pick up a book from the library and find a small insect living between the pages. You wonder where it came from, who created it, who provides for this creature which is almost invisible; this tiny insect which you can barely even see!”
Moreover, who amongst us can create something without the help of Allah’s creation? We may create complex machines but we cannot do so without utilizing what Allah has created, such as soil for agricultural purposes and so on. Allah is the Only One Who “creates what He wills” without the assistance of anyone and anything. If Allah decrees something He just says to it “be” and it comes into existence.
{وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ} 48
Verse 48: {And He (Allâh) will teach him [Isa (Jesus)] the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom), (and) the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel).}
Isa (Jesus), had no knowledge except what Allah chose to teach him. Here Allah states that He will teach him the rulings of the Tawrah, which came before the Injil that was revealed to him. In addition to the Book, He would teach him al-hikmah. The word al-hikmah, as explained by the scholars, has either one or both of the following meanings:
- The sunnah revealed by Allah to His Prophets and Messengers, and this is the second type of revelation from Allah.
- The explanation of the wisdom behind the Legislation of the Books.
We need to try to understand the wisdoms behind Allah’s rulings and commandments. Some of this wisdom is very clear and obvious, such as the prohibition of alcohol to preserve both the body and mind. Others may not be as clear, such as the wisdom behind the permissibility of men having four wives. It is a subject which is no doubt very sensitive and whose wisdom is often unrecognized due to the natural jealousy of the human heart, but if we reflect upon it, we will be able to comprehend its wisdom with clarity. Polygeny allows men, whom Allah has created with a greater natural desire than women, to fulfill their physical needs lawfully without divorcing their existing wife or getting involved in illicit relationships. Moreover, it is also known that the numbers of females far exceed the numbers of males and if it was not for the permissibility of polygeny, several women may never be able to get married. There are many other benefits and virtues of polygeny which the scholars have written lengthy about. And this is the case with all of Allah’s commands and prohibitions – they all have a great and perfect wisdom behind them.
However, there are certain rulings whose wisdom may not be understood. We do not know the wisdom behind the impermissibility of plucking one’s eyebrows, for instance, but the greatest inherent wisdom here is that it is simply a test from Allah, so that He can distinguish those who respond by saying, “We hear and we obey!” from those who say, “I do not see a reason or logic behind this commandment so I will not do it.” Therefore, part of the clear wisdom behind this legislation is to test our obedience as slaves to Allah, for the slave never questions his master.
The more our hearts are open and willing to understand and act upon the Legislation, the more light Allah will put into them, which will allow us to understand and comprehend Allah’s hikmah. Many people just read the Quran and stop there. Others however show deep care and strive to understand it. Are they the same? The latter are the ones who will find this hikmah- the wisdom and meanings of the Legislation- before their eyes.
{وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ الأَكْمَهَ وَالأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ} 49
Verse 49: {And will make him [Isa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah’s Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.}
Allah sent Isa as a Messenger to the Children of Isra’eel i.e. the twelve tribes of the descendants of Ya’qub. All the Prophets who succeeded Ibrahim صلى الله عليه وسلم were from the children of Ishaq and his son Ya’qub, except prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم who was from the children of Isma’eel, the brother of Ishaq
When Allah sends a messenger to a group of people, He provides him with evidences to prove that he has been sent by Allah. This support of Allah for His Prophets and Messenger with ayaat is related to one of His Beautiful Names, Al-Mu’min – the One Who affirms His Messengers and strengthens them with evidences and signs to prove their truthfulness. Isa (Jesus) brought his people several signs proving that He was indeed a Messenger from Allah. The first sign was:
{…that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s Leave}
He could mould clay into the shape of a bird and when he would blow into it, it would come alive by Allah’s Permission.
There are two very important words in this verse as it pertains to these signs: “…and it becomes a bird by Allah’s Leave (bi idhnillah).” “Bi idhnillah” means by the will and the permission of Allah. No one can create anything by himself, not even a great Messenger of Allah. It was Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, who enabled Isa (Jesus) to turn a piece of clay into a living thing.
“…and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah’s Leave.”
Another sign that Isa (Jesus) was given was the ability to cure a person who was born blind just by placing his hand on his face.
He could also heal the lepers. “Al-abrasa” is a type of skin disease in which the colour of the skin changes, amongst other things. It is a kind of leprosy, for which there was no cure at the time of Isa (Jesus).
We must note that the signs that Allah gave His Prophets were most applicable and suitable for their specific era. For example, during the time of Musa, the people were highly skilled at magic, but at the time of Isa (Jesus), they were advanced in medicine, and due to this, Allah sent relevant signs that would be clearly recognized by the people as being divine and distant from human capability. No one had the ability to cure a person who was blind by birth or a leper, yet Isa (Jesus) was able to do so, and therefore, this affirmed his Prophethood instituted by the Lord of the worlds.
“And I bring the dead to life by Allah’s Leave,” meaning that he would call the dead man in his grave by saying, “Oh so and so, come out!” and the dead man would be brought to life again bi’idhnillah – only by the permission of Allah! This is a sign, for who can do this except Allah? Thus, it is made clear that if Allah sends someone to a people, He will also reveal evidences to confirm the truth of his sending so that the people can believe in him. Yet, there are those who denied the manifest signs of Allah with which they had been sent due to the stubbornness, arrogance and hardness of their hearts.
“Surely, in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.”
Only those whose hearts were worthy of faith would accept and submit to these signs and believe in Allah and His Messenger.
{وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ} 50
Verse 50: {And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurât (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allâh and obey me.}
Another sign of a messenger is that he confirms the preceding revelations. A messenger would not come with something completely different and unheard of, rather, he would come with the same creed, even though the legislation (commandments and prohibitions) could be different. The core message of all of the messengers was one and the same – the worship of Allah alone, without partners – and they all affirmed the ones who came before them.
Bani Israa’eel of Musa were a very difficult people, and Musa suffered greatly with them. Their hearts were hard and greedy for the materialistic things of the dunya. Due to their disobedience and arrogance, Allah forbade certain types of food for them as a punishment. So prophet Isa, peace be upon him, informed his people that he had come with a legislation from Allah that would allow some of that which was previously forbidden for them. By Allah’s kindness and mercy, the religion was made lighter and easier for them.
He stressed this point and repeated it to show its importance:
“and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allaah and obey me.” “
“At-taqwa” means to shield or protect oneself from Allah’s Anger and Punishment by obeying what He commanded and refraining from what He prohibited. It is derived from “wiqaya,” which means ‘protection’. “So fear Allaah,” meaning be pious, be obedient, and take the means to protect yourself from His punishment.
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ}
51: {Truly, Allaah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is a Straight Path.}
What did Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, say? Did he say, “Take me as a lord”? No he did not. Isa (Jesus), like all the other Prophets, conveyed the statement of truth that he was commanded with.
Allah says,
{فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ} 52
Verse 52: {Then when Isa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: “Who will be my helpers in Allaah’s Cause?” Al-Hawaariyyoon (the disciples) said: “We are the helpers of Allaah (i.e., we will strive in His Cause!); we believe in Allaah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allaah).}
Isa (Jesus) realised that the majority of the people from Bani Israa’eel did not believe in him. Thus, when he saw their disbelief, he said to them, “Who will be my helpers in Allaah’s Cause?” “Ansaar” means aiders, helpers or supporters.
Who are Al-Hawaariyyoon? Sheikh ibn Uthaymin explained that the white part of one’s eyes is called the ‘hawr’, therefore, these were called al-hawaariyoon due to the purity of their hearts.
The hawaariyoon said, “We are the helpers of Allaah (i.e., we will strive in His Cause!); we believe in Allaah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.” Here they ask Isa (Jesus) to bear witness that they are Muslims.
How are the hawariyyoon ‘muslims’? If someone today believes that Jesus is a messenger and slave of Allah, but does not believe in Muhammad, is this person also a Muslim? No, he is not. This is because anyone who believes in the messenger and book of his time and those which came before him is considered a Muslim (of his time).
As for the Muslim of this time, then he is the one who believes and follows the sharee’ah brought by the Last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) and affirms all the books and prophets which came before him. Thus, any person who believes in the messenger of his time must also believe in all the messengers mentioned in their Book and everything that it contains, such as belief in the angels, for instance.
If a person disbelieves in even one messenger or Book, then this is disbelief because by doing this, they have not actually established complete belief in the message of their book or messenger.
Due to Allah’s wisdom and mercy, the messengers were sent with different legislations that were suited to that particular situation and time. However, they all came with the same core message of tawheed. Thus, there has always only been one religion and that is the religion of Islam and all the messengers and prophets were Muslims.
{رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنزَلْتْ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ} 53
Verse 53: {“Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger [Isa]; so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth, i.e. La ilaaha illallaah – none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah).}
“We believe in what You have sent down” The wording here is crucial since when one says that he believes in the previous books, people may misunderstand this to mean that he also believes in the fabricated parts that entered into them. This statement from Allah, the Most High, is the better way to declare one’s belief in them as it makes it clear that we believe in the Books as they were revealed by Allah in their original, pure form, before deviation and alterations crept into them.
“and we follow the Messenger [Isa (Jesus)]” Belief by itself is not accepted and sound unless it is followed by action. To believe in something but not act upon it goes against logic. That is why the disciples said, “…and we follow the Messenger (Isa (Jesus))”. Similarly, if we believe in Allah, then we must follow the commands which came to us through His messenger because everything that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, came with was from Allah, and not from himself. His sayings, commands, and advice are all from Allah; he was only a messenger whose duty was to convey. So if we believe in Allah, fear His punishment, hope for His reward, and confirm that He alone deserves to be worshipped, then we must also follow His commands. Indeed, there is no true faith without obedience and submission.
Allah continues; “so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth, i.e. La ilaaha illallaah – none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah)..” Sheikh ibn Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that these people asked to be included among all those who bear witness to the truth of Tawheed from the people of the past, present, and future. So whenever we feel lonely and strange upon this path of the Sunnah which most people are astray from, we too can say, “Allah I want to be with my people [with the Prophets, companions, and hawaariyoon]” and we will feel strengthened, as if we are in their company – in the way they struggled and supported Allah’s Religion and were patient upon the harms that befell them. Having love for those whom Allah loves and yearning to be counted from amongst them, is a sign of our true love for Allah.
{وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ} 54
Verse 54: {And they (disbelievers) plotted [to kill Isa (Jesus)], and Allaah planned too. And Allâah is the Best of those who plan.}
Al-Makr it is to be able to harm or take advantage of one’s enemies in indirect, hidden ways. The disbelievers were secretly plotting to kill Isa (Jesus), but Allah plotted against them.
Thus, we affirm the attribute of al-makr (planning) for Allah, but we must be careful of using this attribute unrestrictedly.
Al-Makr (plotting) would not generally be considered a positive attribute, since it entails a form of deception and cunningness. It could have positive or negative connotations. Allah’s act of ‘plotting’ is not a general, continuing one. Rather, as the verse states, He plots specifically against those who plot evil. Or it can be said that Allah is the best of planners, because Allah’s planning encompasses His creation. No one can plot against Allah, the All-Knowledgeable, the All-Powerful, and it is foolish to think that one could be victorious whilst plotting against Allah and His Messenger! Allah knows what His creation is going to think even before they do so, then what about their fragile plans against Him?
The disbelievers of Baani Isra’eel decided to kill Isa (Jesus) [alayhi- salaam] by entering his room in an unsuspecting manner, intending to harm him. They did not plan to openly threaten him. They were going to show him friendliness outwardly while intending to actually harm him, which would mean that Isa (Jesus) would not be prepared to defend himself from their attack. And how did Allah then plan against them? Think about the Power of Allah here and how no one is able to stand against it. Allah made the resemblance of Isa come upon the chief of the plotters. So when his allies approached him in order to begin executing their plan, they thought that he was Isa! He kept trying to convince them that he was their ally but they did not believe him and killed him. How easy this was for Allah and how masterfully Allah plotted – the chief plotter himself was killed whilst unable to do anything for himself!
{إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ} 55
Verse 55; {And (remember) when Allaah said: “Oh Isa (Jesus)! I will make you sleep and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that Isa (Jesus) is Allaah’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.}
Allah informed Isa that He would raise him to Himself. The word “wafaah”, which is of two types: the greater “wafaah”, which is death, and the smaller “wafaah” which is sleep, (i,e. mini-death). Allah either wakes a person from it, or does not, the latter of which results in death. Some of the scholars said that Allah made him die and then brought him to life again, however this is incorrect. The correct meaning is that Allah put him in a state of sleep in order to raise him up through the heavens.
“…and clear you [of the forged statement that Isa (Jesus) is Allaah’s son] of those who disbelieve”
“Mutaahir” means moral purification. The people accused Isa of being a liar so Allah purified him from this false accusation and proved his truthfulness. In addition, they accused him of being a child born out of wedlock, so Allah proved that he was created by Allah’s word (“be”) and He also proved the chastity of Maryam, may Allah be pleased with her.
“And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection.” This is a statement which the Christians misuse and misinterpret, as it is one of those verses which are mutashaabih (unclear) to those who do not know its correct explanation. The Christians claim that since they follow and believe in Isa (Jesus) Allah, according to this verse, will give them victory. Indeed, they are not the followers of Isa (peace be upon him) in the least. Firstly, Isa (Jesus) commanded them to worship Allah, his Lord and their Lord. Did they obey him (Jesus) in this? No! Secondly, Isa (Jesus) gave them glad-tidings of a prophet named ‘Ahmad’ (i.e. Muhammad, peace be upon him) who would come after him, and gave them a description of him. Did they believe in him and follow him? They disbelieved in Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, when he was sent by Allah.
So when they neither believed nor followed his greatest teaching, are they really his followers? Rather, in reality, it is us, the Muslims, who are the true followers of Isa (Jesus). We believe in him and confirm all he came with of the truth, including his statement that he is a messenger and slave of Allah, and not a son of God, and that Allah is our lord who alone we worship, and furthermore, we believe and follow Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Consequently, the Muslims should be superior to all of the people, but we find ourselves weak and humiliated. We have no power or respect, and nobody fears us. Why is this? It is due to nothing but our sins. We do not abide by the commands of Allah, nor do we follow our Prophet (peace be upon him). Tawheed and sunnah has become strange amongst us! When we imitate and follow the ways of the disbelievers and abandon the Quran, do we really deserve to be superior? Our strength and honour is only in abiding by the Quran and Sunnah. When we become true followers of this religion, our superiority and success will be restored to us. We need to strive to achieve this promise of Allah through rectification of our beliefs and true ittiba’ (following of Muhammad, peace be upon him).
{...and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.}
{فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ} 56
Verse 56: {As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.”}
The disbelievers are punished in both this world and the hereafter, or in some cases, only in the hereafter. Sheikh ibn Uthaymeen said that the punishment of the disbelievers in this life is the state of their hearts. Due to their disbelief and sins, Allah makes their hearts heavy, constricted, empty and miserable. They never taste true happiness, security, and expansion of their breasts because they know that no matter what they gather of the world, they will leave it all behind. They are constantly worrying about their money, their health and their future. This state is in itself a severe punishment because this heart has nothing to live for.
A Muslim, on the other hand, is alive due his faith, no matter what his circumstances are. He recognizes that the pleasures and trials of this life are only temporary. He understands that there is an everlasting destination and abode he is working for. He knows that every moment of trial and difficulty in this world will be compensated with a handsome reward if he is patient, reliant and content with Allah, and that no effort for the sake of Allah will be left unnoticed. He is guided to the light of faith and the beautiful life of knowing Allah, being a slave to Him, hoping and loving Him. His struggles are lightened and his trials are eased simply due to his iman (faith) in Allah.
Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.
Everyone will return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection to be recompensed for their deeds and acts. This will be a day of justice where victory will be for the Haqq (truthfulness) and those who followed the Haqq. Allah will judge between the believers and the disbelievers, and Allah tells us who will be victorious. All praise to Allah for His complete and perfect judgement where there is no judge but Him.
{وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ} 57
Verse 57: {And as for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) and do righteous good deeds, Allaah will pay them their reward in full. And Allaah does not like the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong doers).}
Consider how the mention of belief is followed by actions; there is no faith without good deeds. Allah refers to the reward for the righteous believers as wages which they have earned. Allah, Al-Maalik (The Owner), has granted the believers the right to this payment. But Allah’s wages and reward are not like any other for He is the Most Appreciative, Merciful, and Loving Lord who “will pay them their reward in full.” Allah has taken upon Himself the right to reward us for every single good deed, big or small, hidden or manifest. Every smile, every kind word, every moment of faith, patience and trust – nothing will be missed.
“And Allaah does not like the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong doers).”
Allah mentioned the great reward for the believers who established tawheed and followed His commands, saving themselves from the greatest wrongdoing which is shirk. They saved themselves and earned the love of Allah due to their sincerity, but as for those who committed shirk they harmed their own selves as they deserved the punishment of Allah and Allah hates the disbelievers.
Above is a transcription of a class given by teacher Zaynab El-Kateb and it is based on the Tafseer of Surah Ali-Imraan by Shaikh Ibn Al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him.
